began

verb

past tense of begin
1
as in commenced
to take the first step in (a process or course of action) she began walking to work for exercise

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in started
to come into existence the storm began late in the day and lasted all night

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in founded
to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of the religious sect was begun by a small breakaway faction

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of began Being bumped to a relief role required some selflessness from Seymour and Jax — both of whom began the season in the bullpen and were transitioned to the rotation. — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Oct. 2026 Its industrial humanoid super smart factory in Liuzhou, Guangxi, began operating on September 12. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026 Jarrett Ortiz Jarrett Ortiz’s journey at Estée Lauder began over five years ago through the Drexel University cooperative education program. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026 Jones was regularly unemployed throughout the relationship, which began in the fall of 2023, according to state prosecutors in Tarrant County. — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026 Recent decades have seen the rise of a new kind of brewing culture, as younger people began creating different drinks and brews, experimenting. — Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 The death in a helicopter crash of Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo, his wife and three others has reverberated across government and industry circles on the continent, as investigators began examining what caused the aircraft to go down. — Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026 There was a period where airspace was closed in the Gulf after the Iran conflict began, and then questions about whether the region’s growth story would be interrupted. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Rodriquez said her daughter began facing bullying and body image issues, using filters on the apps to alter her face. — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for began
  1. commenced
  2. started
  3. founded
  4. opened
  5. originated
  6. established
  7. launched
  8. arose
Verb
  • The mountain, known to the Indigenous inhabitants of the region as the Six Grandfathers, was considered sacred, and construction commenced over the vehement objections of Native Americans.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Circle has commenced a search for its next CFO with the assistance of an executive search firm.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of commenced
Verb
  • The last time the Chargers started 0-4 was 2017, their first season back in Los Angeles.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Excluding immigration impact, the population decline has already started.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of started
Verb
  • BlackRock, Carhartt, Ford and Google founded the Alliance in July — the same four companies represented on the panel.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The site is situated on the island of Lismore and is believed to have been founded by Saint Mo Luóc, an early Christian saint also known as Moluag.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of founded
Verb
  • In June, the group opened a series of arena dates ahead of Turnpike Troubadours and Muscadine Bloodline.
    — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Sayegh, who owns the five-screen cinema in Cranford, near to New York City, will mark the centennial with a throwback screening of Padlocked, the silent film that opened the theater’s doors on November 29, 1926, with an accompanying organ player.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of opened
Verb
  • The ruling led to cascading changes around the American South, but the case originated in Louisiana — specifically the 6th Congressional District that included Scotlandville.
    — Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The show originated as an idea by CAA’s Community & Impact (formerly CAA Foundation) in memory of Huvane.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of originated
Verb
  • Other networks have been established for working fathers, LGBTQ+ employees, and early-career staff, which were established to give younger employees a greater say in their career development and opportunities to communicate with leadership.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Deadline has established that several top producers have declined to throw their hat into the ring, with many citing concerns about the lack of rights and the production contract sucking creative energy away from other projects.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of established
Verb
  • The rise and fall of Joe Cool, the Camel cigarette advertising gimmick that launched a thousand teen smokers, was accomplished with a more top-down approach.
    — Kent Sepkowitz, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The cream was soft-launched in May, followed by Liquid Lift, while the enzyme cleanser is set to launch in October.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of launched
Verb
  • The case arose because Colorado’s new Universal Preschool Program only provides funding to preschools that agree to abide by a nondiscrimination policy.
    — Mark Satta, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The filing, made in April but posted online Monday, comes after questions arose earlier this year about the nature of Kristi Noem’s relationship with a top advisor.
    — Hannah Schoenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of arose

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began
beget
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Cite this Entry

“Began.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/began. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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